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Classic door ajar for Wise Dan after Shadwell win

By Nicholas Godfrey 1:38AM 7 OCT 2012

Report: USA, Saturday

Keeneland: Shadwell Turf Mile (Grade 1) 1m, turf, 3yo+

TRAINER Charles Lopresti kept the door open for Wise Dan(Jose Lezcano) to change his Breeders' Cup target after the five-year-old produced another convincing display to slam his rivals in this $750,000 event.

This remarkably versatile gelding, who last year recorded the highest Racing Post Rating of any US-trained horse, has top-class form on turf, dirt and all-weather. He has now won six of his last seven starts.

Sent off 3-5 favourite to follow up his Woodbine Mile success of three weeks ago, Wise Dan travelled comfortably just behind the pacemaking Silver Max and Dominus before being produced as they entered the stretch and putting the race to bed.

He won eased down by two and a half lengths from late-running longshot Willcox Inn, with Slip And Drive taking third.

"He's good - he's really good," said Lopresti, who has always maintained that Wise Dan would be pointed towards the Breeders' Cup Mile, where he is ante-post favourite.

"We'll lean toward the Mile but we won't rule out the Classic," added the trainer. "Listening to everybody talk, I think he deserves to run in the Classic. I just watch those races at Santa Anita. Maybe that track's a little bit loose. It doesn't seem like it was as tight as it was - just to me, anyway. We've got some options anyway."

Arguably the best performance of the night as Groupie Doll (Buff Bradley/Rajiv Maragh) easily justified odds-on favouritism by 6 ½ lengths to rubberstamp her credentials for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.

Keeneland: First Lady Stakes (Grade 1) 1m, turf, 3yo+ f/m

Tapitsfly (Dale Romans/Jose Lezcano) got the better of a driving finish to beat Daisy Devine by a half-length, thereby winning her second Grade 1 triumph.

Keeneland: Dixiana Breeders' Futurity (Grade 1) 1m1/2f, AW, 2yo

Joha (Mike Maker/Rajiv Maragh) took advantage of an inside post for an all-the-way victory, gamely holding the late challenge of Dynamic Sky.

Hawthorne: Hawthorne Gold Cup (Grade 2 hcap) 1m2f, dirt, 3yo+

Last year's Stephen Foster Handicap winner Pool Play (Mark Casse/Miguel Mena) returned to form after a tendon injury with a 16-1 victory.

Santa Anita: Arroyo Seco Mile (Grade 2) 1m, turf, 3yo+

Obviously (Mike Mitchell/Joe Talamo), twice a winner in Ireland last year for Peter Fahey, will run next in the Breeders' Cup Mile after his second Grade 2 win in California. Japan's Trailblazer was an eyecatching second.